Dyer talk casts shadow over victory

Sporting Lokeren 0 Newcastle United 4

Bobby Robson, the Newcastle United manager, returned from Belgium to have the smile wiped from his face by fresh speculation over the future of Kieron Dyer.

Robson was a happy man on Saturday as he saw his side cruise to victory over Sporting Lokeren in the first leg of their third-round tie in the Intertoto Cup despite missing five of their first-choice 11.

However, he flew back to Britain to be greeted by renewed suggestions that Dyer is ready to leave the club he joined two years ago from Ipswich Town.

It is frustrating for Robson and his chairman, Freddy Shepherd, that they have been unable to end talk of the England midfielder's departure which has been in the air for months.

"I've had a chat with Kieron, partly over the speeding thing [Dyer was banned from diving last week] and partly concerning all this talk about him going to Leeds," Robson said.

"I said to Kieron: 'We've looked after you and paid your salary for six months when you've played no games for us, so you've got to get it into your head that your allegiance is to this club'."

With no Dyer, Alan Shearer, Rob Lee, Clarence Acuña or Carl Cort, Newcastle made short work of setting up a semi-final with either the Dutch side RKC Waalwijk or Germany's 1860 Munich. Two goals from Shola Ameobi and further strikes from Wayne Quinn and Lomana Lua Lua handed Newcastle a seemingly impregnable lead to take into their home leg with the Belgians on Saturday evening. Robson said: "I'm very happy with the victory and I think we won it convincingly despite having only 10 days of preparation."

Goals: Quinn (13) 0-1; Ameobi (22) 0-2; Ameobi (39) 0-3; Lua Lua (85) 0-4.

Sporting Lokeren: Zitka, Helgason, Seyfo, Vidarsson, Van Dender, Kimoto, Vonasek (El Bodmossi, 33), Gretarsson, Katana, De Beule, Mrzlecki (Zoundi, h-t). Substitutes not used: Dabanovic (gk), De Geest, Van Hoey, Moerenhout, Musinga.

Newcastle United: Given, Barton, Dabizas, Elliott, Hughes (S Caldwell, 62), Bassedas (McClen, 81), Quinn, Solano, Speed, Ameobi (Lua Lua, 71), Bellamy. Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), Gavilan, Green, Bernard.

Referee: F C Mendes (Spain).

Bookings: Lokeren: Katana. Newcastle: Barton.

Man of the match: Ameobi.

Attendance: 6,000.